INTP Broken Trust: Dealing with Trust Issues as an INTP

Having trust betrayed can be a truly painful experience, since it isn’t always easy to give for some people. Trusting in someone means believing in their sincerity and allowing yourself to open up to the change of being hurt by them. Having someone you care for and love break that trust, can be rather detrimental to the relationship. For some people it is possible to rebuild, for others it is almost a given that they will not be able to repair a relationship when the trust has been broken. This can sometimes be connected to personality types, as some types have a harder time really trusting people and being vulnerable around them. Understanding how each type responds to trusting others and having that betrayed, can help to understand them better and how to communicate with them as well.

INTPs can struggle with trust issues, as they have a hard time opening up to other people. For them it can seem more natural to keep their feelings inside, rather than feel vulnerable and open to others. INTPs might be afraid of exposing themselves to people who will take advantage of what they learn. They are also good at analyzing people and want to learn what they can about potential future outcomes. This causes them to feel safer keeping things to themselves rather than exposing who they are to those around them. For the INTP trust issues are somewhat common, which is why it can be hard for people to really see who they are on a deeper level. It can take time for them to find someone they can open up to or trust.

INTP Trust Issues

For INTPs it can be difficult to really open up or express their feelings, as they prefer to focus on rational thought and logical reasoning. They don’t like prioritizing their feelings, instead they want to try and logically understand their own behavior and the behavior of others. Understanding emotions can seem like a real challenge for the INTP, and so opening up and being vulnerable is not something which comes easily for them. They are good at analyzing a situation and seeing the many potential ways things could go, which might actually make it harder for them to trust people. INTPs can see the ways they could get hurt or how people can let them down, and so it takes time for them to really trust someone new. When they see how likely it is for people to somehow hurt or disappoint them, it becomes difficult for the INTP to really want to expose themselves to this. The more they witness people betraying one another, the less comfortable they feel trusting in someone else. INTPs can also be rather independent people, which makes them want to rely on others less for things. They are in tune with the realization that people are likely to hurt them somehow, even if this is not done intentionally. This makes them uneasy with the idea of really opening up to someone new, as they have witnessed how easily this can lead to them getting hurt or feeling betrayed by someone they cared for. This doesn’t mean INTPs are incapable of trusting in someone, it just means they approach this trust from a different point of view. They might see how people could fail, and don’t want to totally put themselves in a position to rely on others for things because of this. While this doesn’t mean they will be hard on someone for making a mistake, it does cause the INTP to keep their distance in some ways. They want to be able to connect with someone, but reaching the point of being truly emotionally vulnerable is not that simple.

INTP & Broken Trust

When the INTP feels as if the trust has been broken with someone it can be difficult to earn this back. Trust has to be earned in the first place and this is something which can take a long time for the INTP to really give to others. They are independent people who often feel more comfortable relying on themselves when it comes to most things in life. When they feel like someone has truly broken their trust, it becomes difficult to ever feel close to that person again. While they can handle small indiscretions, they often have certain boundaries and lines which they don’t want to be crossed. When the INTP does trust and commit to someone it does become hard for them to really disconnect though. They might be the ones more likely to forgive, even when they realize they should move on from the person who hurts them. INTPs give a lot once they care about someone, and this is why trusting can be such a big step for them.

Mending Trust Issues

For the INTP one of the most important steps in dealing with trust issues, is learning more about themselves and their own feelings. Taking time to understand their needs and boundaries can help the INTP to communicate things better to their loved ones. The better they are at expressing these needs and feelings, the easier it becomes to really open up to the right people. For the INTP it still takes time to find someone they feel they can really share themselves with, but in understanding their own feelings better they can learn how to do this without as much hesitation. Communication is something which is truly important for the INTP and their relationships, since it allows them to set clear boundaries and help them express those boundaries to their loved ones. It gives them a sense of focus and direction when it comes to finding people who can respect their needs and boundaries, and in turn this helps the INTP feel more capable of trusting these people. It is something which can be a long process for them, but helps them to feel like they can connect with these people and find the ones who will understand them better.